Earth Day: Sole Responsibility

In light of Earth Day, we wanted to take this opportunity to provide an appreciation for our planet, which we know requires some tender loving care. For us, sustainability is a journey. Our mission together we create to inspire means continuing to create better practices and better innovations, that offer inspiration for our people.

We strive to innovate better, taking steps towards a sustainable future. Keep an eye out for more on our journey, in the coming months. On this special day, we wanted to highlight one of the more recent steps we have taken and share some tips on how you can contribute to the future of the planet through your shoes.

We run a full time workshop in our Merchant 1948 Chadstone store. Since 2018, we have offered a repair and resole service to breathe new life into footwear. From soles and elastics to buckles and almost anything in between, we will fix it. Our workshop also offers a Vibram sole application, a footwear upgrade that extends the life of your shoes by two to three times! Our workshop is offered to shoes of any brands, not just our own. We encourage our customers to renew their favourite shoes and love them for longer.

Throughout this journey, we have learned that small changes can have the biggest impact. Owning countless shoes ourselves, we understand the importance of protecting our shoes to ensure longevity.

Read our 7 top tips from one of our cobblers Steve, on taking care of your shoes.

1. Rotate the pair you wear each day. It may be difficult not choosing your favourite pair every day, but this will reduce wear and tear.

2. Preserve shape! Use shoe trees or boot fillers to preserve the shape when not in use - a vital care step for closed shoes and boots. You can purchase boot fillers here.

3. Protect! Protect all leathers and suedes with a waterproof spray to protect them from rainy weather and potential stains. Adding sole grips to all resin soles before wear adds an extra layer of protection and traction for walking on wet and smooth surfaces.

4. Provide regular TLC! For keeping in top-notch condition, clean your footwear every 2-3 weeks. For smooth leathers, use leather conditioner for hydration and shoe polish for maintaining aesthetics. Use a suede brush to comb through any suede leather.

5. Let your heels, heal! Stilettos or thin heels wear down no matter how often you wear them, so ensure you let them rest in between wears – just like you rest your feet.

6. Know when it is time to repair. It is best to know when to repair your leather or resin soled shoes before they are critical. Depending on the level of wear, a sole repair will need to be done approximately after 12 months. To prevent major wear and tear to boots in the harsh winter weather, be sure to re-sole your boots at the beginning of the season.

7. Pay careful attention to the wear of your heels and soles. Invest in replacing the soles before the metal hits the road and heel repairs before breaking point. Once it is too late, it becomes much harder to repair.

It is that simple! Shop our care product range to ensure longevity in your footwear, allowing you to love and live in them for years to come.